Second Tyrest War
The Second Tyrest War was a cataclysmic campaign, that brought the Tyrest Sector to it's knees, and nearly ousted the Imperium from this sector. Trapped between the three pronged invasion of the Tau Empire, a massive Ork Waaagh! and the predations of Chaos, the Imperial forces fought desperately, barely clinging on under a massive onslaught. Prelude War Aftermath Factions Imperium Space Marine Chapters Blood Dragons The defacto leaders of the campaign, the Blood Dragons turned initial Imperial losses around and managed to take the fight back to the xenos and heretics invading their sector. Despite their fervent defence, loses heavy, forcing them to change their tactics to a guerilla campaign. Twice their home world came under siege, and twice they pushed the enemy back. A successor chapter of the Blood Angels, while their gene-seed may be somewhat diluted, this has not stopped them from achieving innumerable victories. Knights of Retribution While aloof of the main campaign, the Knights of Retribution were a vital cog in the war machine. Rather than spread their forces across a wider battlefront, they continually attacked the traitor forces, again and again. Through the Knight's operations, numerous daemon cults and uprisings were halted, before they could ever gather speed. A successor chapter to the Dark Angels, they share many of the mysteries of their forbearers, but also their strategies, equipment, and organization. Scourers A violent chapter, the Scourers were tasked with halting the xenos advance, no matter the cost. Such was their ferocity in battle that both the Ork and Tau invaders grew to fear them, and began to actively avoid engagement with them. The Scourers were renowned for their well developed fleet capabilities, and their savage lightning assaults. They were also fond of scorched earth tactics, mixing orbital bombardment with mass use of flame throwers The Scourers were kept the secrets of their founding, and the progenitors, only to themselves. What was known was the fearful effect they had on the enemy. Nominally codex adherent, their only deviances are the fire priests, an organisation that combines their Chaplaincy and Librarius, and firestorm squads, specially assault teams entirely equipped with flame weaponry. The Emperor's Sabres After surrendering during the previous Tyrest War, the Emperor's Sabres were sentenced to a century long penitent crusade. Gathering up their ships and arms, they disappearing, vanishing into the wilderness space near the Empire of Serra. Absent for the first few years of the Second Tyrest War, they emerged from wilderness space in a shock and awe assault, outflanking a sizeable chunk of the Tau invasion force. Their fervour, and immense desire for repentance drove them to plunge into the heart of the enemy, causing such tremendous casualties that they set the Tau back by several years. Largely fleet based, and dwindling on numbers, the Emperor's Sabres are a codex adherent chapter of unknown founding and heritage. Prizing the sabre as the purest weapon in battle, many learn to wield it, with incredible skill, and practice in ritualistic duels. Aetherian Warriors Guided by readings of the Emperor's Tarot, a contingent of Aetherian Warriors arrived at the warzone several years into the campaign. A force of three companies arrived to render aid, immediately engaging the every expanding Ork invasions. Working closely with their distant cousins in the Blood Dragons, the Aetherian Warriors struck numerous blows against the Orkish invaders, their savagery cutting a bloody swathe across the enemy front. The Aetherian warriors are a Blood Angels successor chapter, and still follow the same organizational doctrine and tactics. They are notable for the ferocity of their assaults. Black Lions Brothers of Eleos Sons of Themis Children of Excalibur Orion's Sons The Golden Reclaimers Imperial Guard Parnean Praetorians Representing the single finest force in the Imperial Guard's contribution to the campaign, the Parnean Praetorians were the most elite unit raised from the hive world of Parnea. Well equipped, well armed, and incredibly disciplined, their numbers were recruited from heroes of the Parnean guard. Originally forced to be a garrison force by the mad Lord Andal, under the rule of the Dragon Lord, asserting his position as Regent, they became a front line combat unit. Where ever the Praetorians appeared, the tide of battle changed. Armed similarly to Tempestus Scions, and with a wide variety of support in the form of armour, including the mighty Baneblade, the Praetorians crushed Tau invaders at every turn. Parnean Guard The main bulk of the Imperial force, the Parnean guard were mass conscripted from Parnea. Moderately well armed and well equipped, they fought on almost every front. They had airborne, mechanised, artillery and armour support units. They also have a number of super heavy tanks. Midgard Jaegers Recruited from the forest world of Midgard, Jaegers were considered the best scouts and trackers in the Sector. Expert huntsman, and amazing shots, they were well versed in field craft and living off the land. Principle armed as skirmishers, with a large number of long-las rifles, they wore intricately made camo cloaks. They often provided scouting support for larger formations, as well as act as infiltrators and assassins. They also had small numbers of Sentinel units and Tauros ATVs, their heaviest support. Lamosan Dragoons Hailing from the civilised world of Lamosa, their Dragoons have two things in excess. Tanks, and more tanks. Lamosan Dragoons have massed armoured and mechanised formations, providing an impenetrable line of iron for assaults. An excellent example of combined arms, their artillery softens the enemy, their armour secures a beachhead, and their chimeras deploy their supporting infantry. Lamosan Dragoons have a steely discipline, but without their armour many are lost. Tank crews have an intense attachment to their war machines, going so far as to name them. Dragoons also operate supporting Sentinels, scout units using Sentinels, and Tauros ATVs for carrying small scouting teams. The Dragoons also have a small number of Macharius Heavy Tanks, provided by neighbouring forge worlds. These complement the handful of super heavy tanks in their armoury. Knightvale Grenadiers Risen from the industrial world of Knightvale, they have a long and bloody history of storming the most heavily fortified positions. Born out of the brutal inter-fortress wars of Knightvale, the Grenadiers are experts at defeating fortifications, over coming them through a mixture of bombardment, attrition, combat engineering and pure brute force. Grenadiers are known for their dour and serious nature, with little care for joy, theatrics or furious cries. Nothing is more terrifying than Grenadiers pouring throguh a breech, silent aside from the crack of their lasguns. Equipped as stormers, they use las-carbines, and each carries a large number of grenades, ideal for storming. They utilise armoured support, usually in the form of siege weapons, and breachers, such as the Basilisk, Medusa, or Leman Russ Demolisher. Large numbers also carry shotguns and flamers, ideal for purging enemy fortifications. They have elite cadres of sappers, experts in demolitions, tunnelling and at cracking fortifications. They are expected to lead assaults. Danzym Sturm Soldats Risen on the perpetually dark world of Danzym, the Sturm Soldats wear nothing but pitch black uniforms, heavy overcoats, and pale while skull masks. As capalbe of seeing in the dark as any normal man can in the light, they march relentlessly, and tirelessly, storming positions. Often, the only signifier that they're out in the darkness is the shot of their rifles, and their battle cry, right before they charge. They don't have much in terms of armour support, but make use of towed artillery for fire support. Attryan Hussars Coming from the vast plains of Attryan, Hussars are specialists in rapid motion, and rapid redeployment. Every member of the Hussars is mounted in a Chimera, in a Taurox, in a Centaur, or on a horse and rely on these vehicles to rapidly attack the enemy. Relying largely on flanking and misdirection, they appear from no where, strike hard, and retreat before retribution can find them. They are notable for their vehicle commanders and officers having a wing-like decoration on their armour, making them noticeable in the field. Attyran Hussars were well known for their bravado and recklessness in battle. Uhlans of Skyreach The Uhlans of Skyreach are an expert airborne unit, specialising in inserting either through Valkyrie or grav-chute insertion, they are experts at infiltrating enemy positions, or suddenly storming them from above. Experts in small-unit fighting, they only carry whatever their Valkyries can, limiting them to man carried ordnance such as mortars, missile launchers and bolters, and air dropped Tauros and Sentinels. They also rely heavily on fire support from their Valkyrie dropships, Vendetta and Vulture gunships. Uhlans have a strong esprit de corp, rarely, never routing, and rallying with only a battle cry. Ionia Kataphracts Hailing from the industrial world of Ionia, orbiting the forge world of Arkhan, the Kataphracts specialise in the utilisation of armour, in massive, overwhelming amounts. Utilising more super-heavy tanks than any other Imperial Guard regiment in the Tyrest Sector, they rely on their heavy armour smashing aside resistance, then their Crassus transports disgorging cast numbers of infantry to take the position. They also have fearsome massed artillery batteries, including deadly Praetor rocket batteries, and even a few rare Minotaur artillery tanks. Mamaluke Corps The Mamaluke Corps are a mass fielding of genetically engineered slave-soldiers. The result of generations of genetic engineers, the Mamalukes are born into slavery, raised slaves, and die slaves. Training begins as soon as they are born, and as soon as they are old enough, they are augmented, then delivered to their unit. The augmentations, which add several glands, and cybernetic fail safes, renders them stoic, unflinching, and devoted to the Imperial cause. Dissent and rebellion is unheard of, and Mamalukes never refuse an order, no matter how insane or misguided. Once they make contact with the enemy, they become aggressive and cunning, turning into fearsome soldiers. Ranks up to Major are hosted exclusively by Mamalukes, the most intelligent and skilled taking these positions. Because of their nature, they are seen as ammunition, not as individual soldiers. Mamalukes advance, under hails of fire, without slowing or stopping. Mamalukes are lightly armed, with light clothing, a few pieces of armour and a lasrifle. Their helmets obscure their face totally, and each uniform is identical to another aside from unit patches, which take the shape of simple objects, of different colourations. Only those Mamalukes who prove themselves in battle earn the right to breed, passing on their genes to make the next generation of soldiers even better than the last. Jenoan Fusiliers Raised from the civilised world of Jenoa, Fusiliers have a variety of quaint customs that suffuse their whole culture. They march with intricate uniforms, and their helmets and caps are adorned with plumes, traditionally dipped in the blood of their enemies. Jenoan Fusiliers are equipped as line infantry, with heavy support in the form of weapon platoons, specialist units for attacking enemy armour at close range, and large infantry platoons. While they have support in the form of Leman Russ and Chimera tanks, they are few and far between. They have strong discipline, but prefer to engage where they feel strongest, and are not averse to retreating from a battle they see as lost. I Penal Corps A massive Penal force, they are the remains of Imperial Battle Group 2, once a member of the secessionist army during the First Tyrest War. Comprised of the original survivors of that unit, and their children, the Penal Legion are a massive, and utterly disposable force. Composed of slaves fitted with bomb collars to ensure discipline and compliance, they are herded into battle, squads of commissars with bolters at their rear to ensure retreat is impossible. They are used to test defences for weaknesses, front infantry assaults, clear minefields, and otherwise distract the enemy. They are equipped with a uniform, no armour, and a lasgun with a single clip. They are mass-issued frenzon combat-stimm, applied at the will of their commander, to give them artificial bravery. Within their unit, they have elite cadres of penal soldiers, called Regiment 99, or just the ninety nines. Mostly comprised of the sons and daughters of original penal legion members, the members of 99 are chosen from not just the most hardened and skilled of the I Penal Corps, but also the most devout and reticent. Fanatics, desperate to earn redemption for their father's sins, these fighters are notoriously violent, especially against their lesser comrades in the Penal Corps. They fight harder with the promise that their sentence will be commuted as reward for valorous conduct. Sargrad Shock Corps One half of Gensar's martial might, the Gensar Shock Corps are the front line combat force. Dedicated assault troops, their equipment is somewhat older that that used by most Imperial Guard. The use older patterns of Lasgun, that are longer and slower firing than their contemporaries, but more accurate. Their armour too, is of ancient providence. They utilise Malacador-class tanks, utilising the standard line variant as a battle tank in place of the Leman Russ, with Malacador-defenders as vital support tanks, and Gorgon transports to mass move troops into combat. The Gensar Shock Corps aren't particularly well trained, or heavily disciplined, but they make up for it in sheer numbers. Sargrad Guards Corps The elite branch of the Gensar tithe, the Guards Corps are selected from the best performing soldiers. Given weapons and armour of superior construction to the Shock Corps, the Guards Corps have significantly better training, morale and equipment. Like the Shock Corps, they Malacador-class tanks, but these are supplemented with more advanced war machines, such as the Malcador Infernus, the might Valdor tank hunter, ancient patterns of Basilisks and Medusa, the ancient Dracosan transport, and even a few Stormhammer Super-heavy tanks. For line defence, they use rapier weapon platforms for fire support. Stavik Void Jumpers Raised from the dead world of Stavik, Stavik would have not normally been populated, had it not been for the massive mineral wealth. Great expense was made to colonize it, with cities inside domes, or buried under the ground. Outside of these, the world was made up of harsh void, requiring protective suits to venture out. Void Jumpers are descended from these hardy miners, their heavy armour descended from void suits used by them. Heavily armoured, for a Guardsman, they are experts in fighting in low to zero gravity, and fighting in the cold depths of space. Preferred for boarding actions, they also lead assaults against planets where their suits give them the advantage. They lack much in terms of support, outside of Valkyries, but make up for it with a skill in their environment few can match. Rustfall Oathsworn The Guardsmen of Rustfall specialise at one thing, and one thing alone. A glorious death. They charge into combat in order to honour their family back home. This dates back to the early days of the imperial tithe on Rustfall, where the independent people of the planet refused to send their sons to war. The resulting civil disobedience resulted in mass incarceration and forceful conscription, with the oath that if they serve, they can go free. The resulting generations have twisted this meaning, so that to serve is to bring honour to their family. To this end, only the most valorous, most brilliant heroics will do. To do this, the Oathsworn are usually the first ones into battle, rushing heedlessly into combat, and overcoming them enemy with sheer bravado. When a fortress is breached, it is the Oathsworn that charge the breach. The Oathsworn are largely made up lightly armoured infantry, with lasguns specially tailored to close quarters combat. Their armour is usually used for creating opportunities for them to close with the enemy. Nashvak Ogryn Auxilia Recruited from the high-gravity moon of Nasvak, the Ogryn Auxilia recruited there are highly prized. Tough, resilient, and just enough cunning to follow orders, and break an enemy's face in, the Nasvak Ogryns are usually distributed across multiple fronts. Huge, well built, and with a child like mind, they are easily inducted into the Imperial Creed, and easy to direct on the field. Principally armed with a ripper gun for making a mess of the enemy at close quarters, they also have subunits armed with heavy duty armour and slab shields, or mauls and suppression shields, allowing them to batter an enemy to death, while protecting their comrades. Some intelligent Ogryns are selected for BONE surgery, turning them into what is referred to as 'bone heads' by other Ogryns, equal to sergeants in their units. Rumours persist of a secretive unit within the Nashvak Auxilia, that utilise ancient augmention procedures to turn Ogryns into cybernetically altered killing machines, using chemicals to turn them into emotionless automatons, until a trigger is used to turn them into rapid killing machines. Fitted with a variety of mechanised claws in place of hands, they tear armour asunder, and smash clean throguh armoured barricades. Volkstryst Commandos Coming from the distant world of Volkstryst, the Commandos risen there are famed for their self reliance. Each is trained from a young age in survival skills and firearms, which is expected to survive the harsh winters. The result is close-knit groups of commandos, who quietly infiltrate an area to get to their target. Trained in bombcraft as part of their Guardman training, they prove to be deadly at sabotage and assassination. Cimmeron Ash Walkers Ruthless barbarians, raised from the world of Cimmeron, Cimmeron Ash Walkers are raised from the ash wastes, the vast plains of soot and debris from constant volcanic activity. Coming from a culture of brutal hardship, they take this with them into their role as a guardsman. Most eschew armour in favour of speed, and adorne their face and body with warpaint, made from consecrated ash from their homeworld. Lightly armed, they usually carry a autogun or an autopistol, a few spare clips and that's it. Each one carries a massive broadsword, the weapon of choice for their home world. They have little in terms of advanced technology or heavy weapons, mostly limited to heavy stubbers and flame throwers. As brutal and as violent as some of the Xenos in the Tyrest sector, the Ash Walkers are frequently brought in to fight Orks and Kroot. Syndal Pilgrim Guard The Syndal Pilgrim guard hail from the cardinal world of the same name. Fervent believers in the Imperial creed, these fanatically warriors fight with a zeal unseen by most. Preferring chainswords and flamers, they purge the enemy from their redoubts in glorious assaults. They utilise armour sparingly, instead choosing to keep a few select tanks for bringing the enemy to justice. They are especially fond of Hellhounds and Chimeras, allowing them to burn the enemy out, then follow up with a close quarters assault. The Pilgrim Guard are equipped in encompassing armour, covered in icons of the Imperial cult. Everything they use is blessed and anointed regularly. While Syndal is their base, they often guard pilgrim caravens and shrines on nearby worlds. Utarsh Thorn Warriors Warriors born from the harsh world of Utarsh, the Thorn Warriors don't just survive, they've thrived. Their world is infested with venemous thorns, growing as thick as trees, and at tens of feet a day. Its impossible to push back the thorns, forcing the cities to by built on mountains and rocky plateaus. The thorns themselves are deadly venomous, but surviving once gives the victim a resistance. Because their field manoeuvres take them out into the thorn forests, the burgeoning thorn warriors either fall ill and die, or develop an immunity, an immunity that makes them resistant to a whole host of other poisons. To make their world even worse, the thorn forests are cover for a race of insectoid xenos, large ant like creatures that regularly mount raids. Fighting goes down into the tunnels, where the xenos hold the advantage, forcing the Thorn Warriors to clear out hives in a slow and meticulous manner. The resulting warrior can move quickly through dense forest, ignores pain, his immune to most poisons, toxins and venoms, and is an expert in close quarters fighting. However, the Thorn Warriors lack much in terms of armour, instead utilising Sentinels and flame weapons, the only thing that ever keeps the thorns at bay. XXVI Storm Trooper Corps Collected from the recruits of several Schola Progenia in the sector, the XXVI Storm Trooper Corps is one of the most elite formations in the area. An unflinching special operations unit, they can rapidly deploy to a variety of zones on a moments notice. With the best armour and training available to a mere human, and a corps of Taurox Prime APCs and Valkyrie dropships, they often deploy alongside Guardsmen as an elite unit to breach lines and go where the fighting is toughest. They're also sent on secretive missions, to assassinate enemy leaders, sabotage their supplies, and change the course of wars. They've also been called upon by the Inquisitorial Enclave in the region, to act as their escorts in order to prosecute battle. The Storm Trooper Corps has a number of regiments, from a number of different units, but they are largely uniform in equipment and training. Battlefleet Tyrest Mechanicus Forces Legio Gladiator Legio Vexilla Legio Vigilum Avanum Cybernetica Cohort Kellindorn Cohort Avanum Cohort Arkhan Cohort Kellindorn Reductor Cohort Kellindorn Myrmidon Auxilia Cohort Basilikon Astra Knight Forces House Ortharn House Charnaal House Hippolyta Eccelsiarchy Forces Order of the Weeping Idol Order of the Purging Flame Order of the Cloistered Heart Inquisitorial Enclave Tau Empire Coalition 1 Coalition 2 Coalition 3 Chaos Steel Reavers Predators Legio Ferros House Mecalyn Legion of Desolation Black Raiders The Cloven Horde Waaagh! Horguz Da Rekker Altana Craftworld Kabal of the Sacrificed Soul